Is Apple service slipping?

The stores are more crowded, the waits longer, the quality of the genii uneven.

From friend-of-the-blog Chris Comer:

Speaking of Apple I was at Apple Store Holyoke Mall to get battery in phone replaced. Horrible experience. Totally understaffed. Like spending the afternoon at the DMV.

My take: Your mileage may vary. My experience—supported by the American Customer Service Index chart below (thanks FOB Fred Stein)—is that at its worst, Apple service is better than the rest. I sense some slippage, however. The stores are more crowded, the waits longer, the quality of the genii uneven. I had a bad Apple support call last month that a supervisor made right—more than right—but I don’t know if I was somehow flagged for special treatment.